NFL QB questions: Aaron Rodgers’ future, Joe Flacco’s impact

A lot has changed for the NFL’s top quarterbacks since we last checked in a month ago.

Jalen Hurts (83.6) and Trevor Lawrence (81.5) lead the league in QBR over the past four weeks after rough starts to the season. Tua Tagovailoa returned this past Sunday from a concussion, while Deshaun Watson is out for the year with a ruptured Achilles. And maybe most surprisingly, rookies Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix have all led their teams to winning records.

Before the second half of the season, our NFL Nation reporters answered more big questions about 10 quarterbacks around the league. Let’s start with Kirk Cousins’ development with the Falcons, who are fighting to make the postseason for the first time in seven years. (The 10 questions are listed alphabetically by team.)

Jump to a team:
ATL | BAL | CHI | DAL | DEN
IND | NYJ | PIT | SF | TEN

What has been the biggest change for Kirk Cousins in the Falcons’ offense from Week 1 to now?

Comfort. Both with his surgically repaired torn right Achilles and his new receivers.

The Falcons, who didn’t play starters in the preseason, were a mess in an 18-10 Week 1 loss to the Steelers. They finished with 226 total yards on offense and were shut out in the second half. Things have settled down considerably since then. Cousins is in third in the league in passing yards (2,106) and only three quarterbacks have eclipsed his 14 touchdown passes. Wide receiver Drake London is tied for fourth in the NFL in receptions (48) and tight end Kyle Pitts is fourth among tight ends in receiving yards (419).

By Week 4, Cousins said he was throwing the ball to where he knew his receivers would end up, rather than trying to fit it in once they arrived there. The result? Atlanta’s first 4-0 division start in 10 years. — Marc Raimondi, Falcons reporter

How does Lamar Jackson’s 2024 season compare to his 2023 MVP-winning campaign?

Jackson won the NFL MVP last season because he was the best player on the best team in the regular season. This season, the Ravens don’t have league’s best record, but Jackson is among the favorites for another MVP award with more unprecedented numbers.

He’s on pace to become the NFL’s first player to record over 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in the same season. Jackson already has a league-high 501 rushing yards among QBs, and he’s also flourishing as a passer in his second year with Zay Flowers. He’s fifth in passing yards (2,099) and second in touchdown passes (17).

“The dude is just incredible,” Ravens running back Derrick Henry said. “I think he’s the GOAT, for sure.” — Jamison Hensley, Ravens reporter

What does the coaching staff still want to see more of from Caleb Williams?

Continued development as a rhythm and timing passer. The Bears’ coaching staff has emphasized this all season for Williams, who has been tasked with playing “point guard” to get its top offensive players involved. That was on display against Carolina and Jacksonville, when Williams threw six touchdowns to only one interception and averaged 265 passing yards.

It was a different story in an 18-15 loss at Washington. The rookie quarterback had an off-target percentage of 50% and 10 passes were either underthrown or overthrown. Coach Matt Eberflus said Williams’ struggles were related to the timing of his progressions.

Though some of that is a result of poor pass protection and receivers being covered, Chicago wants to see continued improvement in this area from the 2024 No. 1 pick. He still hasn’t faced an NFC North defense, which all rank in the top 12 in points allowed per game. — Courtney Cronin, Bears reporter

Will the Cowboys help Dak Prescott at the trade deadline? Is there a WR/RB/OL move to be made?

The Cowboys made such a move in 2018 when they gave up a first-round pick to the Raiders for Amari Cooper. But Prescott was still on his rookie deal and not the highest-paid quarterback in the game. Jerry Jones has said the Cowboys are likely to be quiet at the deadline after extending Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in the offseason. So how do they help Prescott without a trade? The entire offensive line needs to play better.

They have two Pro Bowl selections (Zack Martin, Tyler Smith), a highly paid right tackle (Terence Steele), a first-round pick at left tackle (Tyler Guyton) and a third-round pick at center (Cooper Beebe) who has drawn praise. This group needs to play up to its ability for the offense to click. Right now, the line is near the league average in pass block win rate (58.7%) and run block win rate (71.0%). — Todd Archer, Cowboys reporter

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What is the biggest sign of improvement from Bo Nix through eight weeks?

Nix has steadily handled two of the big-ticket items on coach Sean Payton’s to-do list — don’t take sacks and don’t turn the ball over. Payton considers a sack much like a loss-of-down penalty and always has the data available on how turnovers hurt the team’s ability to win. The mobile rookie avoided sacks in three of the Broncos’ five wins, and their sack rate per dropback is the lowest in the NFL (3.7%). Nix threw a combined four interceptions in back-to-back losses to start the season, but he has had only since then.

His safe play has come at the expense of impact at times, as he has still not had much success in the passing game. He’s 29th in yards per attempt (5.9) and 25th in completion percentage (63.2%). — Jeff Legwold, Broncos reporter

What wrinkle can Joe Flacco bring to the Colts’ offense that Anthony Richardson hasn’t provided this season?

Benching Richardson has some long-term implications for the franchise that cannot yet be fully understood. But for now, Flacco is likely to bring more efficient passing, which might result in a more predictable overall offensive performance.

The Colts have been very boom or bust with Richardson, with his 4-to-7 touchdown to interception ratio becoming problematic (Flacco’s is 7-to-1 in three games this season). They won’t get to benefit from Richardson’s rocket arm, which has produced touchdown passes of 69, 60 and 54 yards, but they’re banking on steadier play to keep them in games. Matchups against three top-10 defenses in terms of points allowed per game (Minnesota, Buffalo and Detroit) await Indianapolis over the next four weeks. — Stephen Holder, Colts reporter

What is the Jets’ plan for future seasons at quarterback — and is Aaron Rodgers part of it?

Rodgers has talked about playing beyond 2024 with the organization, but the landscape has transformed since he made those comments last December. The Jets sustained their fifth straight loss Sunday and are currently at the bottom of the AFC East standings. Chances are they will have a new coaching staff and perhaps a new front office in 2025. Will a new regime want to start out with a 41-year-old quarterback? Will Rodgers even want to come back?

He isn’t playing up to his usual standard. His mobility, perhaps compromised by his 2023 Achilles surgery, has declined. The Jets don’t have an heir apparent on the roster either. Rookie Jordan Travis (non-football injury list) is too much of a wild card on whom to bet. The bottom line is they could have a new starter in 2025. — Rich Cimini, Jets reporter

What is the coaching staff saying about Russell Wilson’s first two starts?

Though it’s a small sample size, the Steelers staff is pleased with Wilson’s outings. Not only did he recover from a slow start against the Jets in Week 7, but he didn’t show any rust in the team’s Week 8 win over the Giants.

Wilson’s addition to the offense has also opened up the passing game with his willingness to throw deep balls. He has the fifth-highest passing yards in the NFL over the past two weeks (542) and is 5-of-7 on attempts of at least 20 air yards. Justin Fields was completing the same passes at a 30% rate through six starts. — Brooke Pryor, Steelers reporter

Has Brock Purdy locked up an offseason extension in San Francisco with his play this season?

The 49ers have been planning for a Purdy payday for a long time, but nobody knows better than the 49ers how fast things can change at quarterback. This is a team that stumbled into Purdy because of injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, so it’s imperative he stays healthy and productive to secure a massive extension next year.

For now, it’s not something Purdy is thinking, saying last week, “I’m always trying to find an edge to myself in my game, not thinking about what next year holds. … And that’s where my mindset is at. I’m focused on my team, on this year and that’s final. That’s it.”

If Purdy continues to produce — he’s ninth in QBR at 62.5 despite a rough outing against Kansas City — the rest will take care of itself. — Nick Wagoner, 49ers reporter

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Will the Titans go back to Will Levis once healthy? Are they committed to giving him this season?

Titans coach Brian Callahan has made it clear that Levis is his quarterback when healthy. After not throwing for the past two weeks because of a Grade 2 AC sprain in his right shoulder, the Titans plan to get Levis back to work this week.

It obviously has been a tough start for Levis, who has thrown seven interceptions in five games. Tennessee’s only win came with backup Mason Rudolph under center, but the Titans knew there would be some growing pains. They’ve devoted this year to figuring out if Levis was capable of leading their franchise.

“Everything about what we were hoping to get out of the season was a really solid and concrete evaluation of [Levis] as a starting quarterback,” Callahan said. — Turron Davenport, Titans reporter